The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) has issued a fresh demand to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to expedite the confirmation of 20,000 intern teachers into permanent and pensionable terms, citing growing anxiety among educators who have completed a year of service.
In a letter dated November 3, 2025, addressed to TSC Acting Secretary and Chief Executive Eveleen Mitei and copied to the Director of Legal, Labour and Industrial Relations, KUPPET expressed disappointment over the commission’s silence on the matter despite earlier assurances.
According to the union, the intern teachers have successfully completed one year of service, with the third term coming to an end and the Kenya Junior Secondary Examinations (KJSEA) concluding this week.
KUPPET argues that the teachers have duly fulfilled all internship requirements and therefore deserve timely issuance of confirmation letters.
“The teachers have fully done one year in service and should have received their letters of confirmation by now. The least we expected was for the Commission to be issuing confirmation letters within this week,” reads the letter signed by KUPPET Secretary General Akelo Misori.
The union says the delay has caused unnecessary distress among the affected teachers, many of whom are relying on the confirmation for job security, improved remuneration, and access to pension benefits.
“To address the anxiety building up in the teaching fraternity over the delayed confirmations, we hereby demand an assurance from the Commission that this matter is of high priority,” KUPPET stated, urging TSC to ensure confirmations are issued before the expiry of internship contracts.
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The push comes at a time when the education sector is under pressure to stabilise staffing in junior schools, where most of the interns have been deployed since the rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The TSC has yet to issue an official response to the union’s demands.
The move comes at a time when the intern teachers petitioned Parliament and TSC to convert their contracts to permanent and pensionable terms.
In the petition submitted last week, the teachers expressed concern that despite working full-time in classrooms and supporting the national education system, they continue to serve on temporary terms without job security, medical cover, or pension benefits. Their contracts are expected to expire in December 2025.
The petitioners argued that serving as interns for periods exceeding 12 months’ amounts to unfair labour practice and negatively affects morale, welfare and long-term planning for educators already carrying full responsibilities in schools.
“We respectfully request that the government and TSC allocate funds in the supplementary budget to convert all serving intern teachers to permanent and pensionable terms,” the petition reads.
They further asked Parliament to ensure budgetary allocation for their absorption and requested TSC to establish a clear timeline and transparent process for their conversion, saying the uncertainty threatens stability in schools, particularly those already experiencing acute teacher shortages.
The teachers also want a policy guarantee that no intern teacher should serve beyond one year without being absorbed, arguing that continued internship undermines motivation and performance in the sector.
By Philip Koech
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